1. Field of the Invention
Board games are very common today and can be found in numerous forms and with many variations. Some board games are created solely to entertain while others are invented in order to educate the players while they are having fun. Geographical board games enable individuals to become familiar with the geography of a specific area while at the same time entertaining anywhere from two to a large group of people. The introduction of a die into the game allows for the elements of chance, while a strategy must also be created and followed in order to obtain a set goal and be declared the winner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Other games have been patented which are based on travel through a designated geographical territory. For instance U.S. Pat. No. 940,855 by Allen B. Clemens is a geographical travel game that uses a map of western Europe for its playing surface. Mr. Clemens' invention has predetermined routes of travel which the players use and the game can only be played by as many players as there are routes on the playing map. The goal of Mr. Clemens' invention is to reach a specific destination before other players reach their specific destination. Thus, the only matter of importance for the players is the speed in which they travel while the experiences one gains while traveling does not help a player win the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,946 by Bruce N. Bain also describes a geographical travel game. This invention puts great emphasis on scheduling and planning as well as the mode of transportation players use. Speed of travel is important as the winner of the game is the first player to get to a predetermined number of destinations. There is little or no importance placed on what players could see while at these destinations, in fact there is no mention of travel sights.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,142 by Robert H. Spohn is a travel board game in which players are limited to travel along marked paths and the game is limited to play in one city. The type of travel used is very basic to this invention and money plays a central role as well. Charges for admission to attractions and for services make it essential for players to closely monitor their budget.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,071 by Jack Siegfried is another travel board game which places no emphasis on travel sights. Players proceed from destination to destination and the winner is determined by how much money players collect as well as by how many destinations they have reached. Players do not receive information an travel sights as they play this game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,336 by Launa J. Lincoln is another board game which centers on the actual traveling between destinations. The object of the game is to accumulate the most money while visiting or discovering travel sights are not of importance to this invention. Players do not enjoy the opportunity of advancing their knowledge of travel sights or monuments although they do advance their knowledge of a particular geographic area.
Foreign Pat. No. 1,192,400 by Jan Tramer and Kenneth Rowland Mayhew is a travel game which does give information on travel sights and landmarks. However, the invention is limited to play in one city and players must use a predetermined route. There is also not a diversity of goals that players are to obtain, such as leisure time or night life. These opportunities can be just as important to a traveler as visiting a landmark could be and are often overlooked by a first time travelers.
Foreign Pat. No. 915,550 by Kenneth Graham Hughes is another travel board game where the goal is to travel to a predetermined number of places as quickly as possible. The invention does not contain information on travel sights and it also ignores a basic traveling rule. That rule states that the more destinations visited does not always make the best traveling experience.